2,802 Miles of Trail to be Improved on National Trails Day®

May 1, 2018

Silver Spring, MD – On June 2, 2018 people across the country will come together to collectively improve 2,802 miles of trail—the distance across the US—during American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day^®.

American Hiking Society invites hikers, cyclists, equestrians, paddlers, and everyone else who enjoys spending time outside to join the nationwide efforts by pledging to improve a trail on National Trails Day^®. Anyone can leave a trail better than they found it by simply picking up trash or by joining an organized trail work project.

For 25 years, American Hiking’s National Trails Day^® has united the trails community on the first Saturday of June with the goal of connecting more people to trails and public lands. In 2018, American Hiking Society will improve 2,802 miles of trail in a single day to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the National Trails System. The 1968 National Trails System Act gave America a gift – the creation and protection of some of Americans’ favorite places to discover the great outdoors.

“It’s easy to hit the trail and enjoy being outside without thinking about the tremendous effort it takes to advocate for, plan, build, and maintain the nearly 250,000 miles of trail crisscrossing America,” explains Kate VanWaes, Executive Director of American Hiking Society. “For National Trails Day^® this year, we are celebrating America’s magnificent trails system and jump starting the next fifty years of protecting and expanding upon the legacy we enjoy each time we set foot on the trail.”

Beyond trail work projects, thousands of individuals and organizations will host a variety of fun trail events and activities ranging from guided hikes to communitywide festivals on National Trails Day^®. It’s a great opportunity for people to try something new, explore wild spaces, or get outside right in their neck of the woods—or city.

Join the national celebration by taking the pledge to improve a trail and find an event near you at NationalTrailsDay.org.

National Trails Day^® photos, graphics, and b-roll video are available for editorial use at: bit.ly/2018NTDpromo

American Hiking’s National Trails Day^® is made possible by the generous support of Corporate Sponsors – Merrell, Eddie Bauer, Columbia, REI, Popular Mechanics, Save The Redwoods League, Nature Valley, Osprey Packs, Wiivv and Federal Partners – National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Federal Highway Administration, and U.S. Forest Service.

Founded in 1976, American Hiking Society is the only national, recreation-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience.  To learn more about American Hiking Society and its mission and programs, visit www.AmericanHiking.org

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